It then became mom’s job to figure things out and mail our entry before the deadline. They were always hopeful that we’d win millions of dollars or maybe a new car.

Since I worked in direct marketing, in publishing, I’d found out for sure that Mom and Dad’s chances of winning a big prize were exactly the same whether they bought a magazine or not. (Fran Lebowitz once said about lotteries that she has the same chance of winning whether she buys a ticket or not.) I didn’t have the heart to tell my parents, though, and they usually subscribed to three or four magazines every year.

Why?

The PCH envelope was exciting and fun!

The envelope is gone but the sweepstakes is still fun, especially in this economy. Now PCH TV commercials urge you to enter online for a chance at “$1 million a year for life”. But, according to a recent article in Direct Marketing News, magazine subscriptions are no longer the #1 item at PCH. Merchandise, with 7,200 SKUs, is tops now.

Marla Altberg

When I was in New York recently I made an appointment at Ventura Associates. They’re the geniuses of sweepstakes. I met with CEO Marla Altberg and her team and they told me that direct response sweepstakes:

- Enhance your message and increase readership
– Encourage your prospect to respond now
– Increase sales or donations
– And on the internet they’re huge traffic (and brand) builders.

Marla showed some of her great case studies, including:

- 170% growth in Facebook fans for one client
– 800,000 new site registrations for another
– 12% call-in responses for a third!

I learned so much about sweepstakes and contests that I was eager to get back to my office in Florida to present some ideas to two of our clients. The best part of testing programs with Ventura Associates is that they help with the creative development, and take care of all that challenging:

- Legal compliance
– Winner selection
– Prize fulfillment
– Program analytics
– Cost splitting: you can share the program with other companies so it is relatively inexpensive to test. So why not?

Also, have some fun and see how creative Ventura Associates’ promotion really are: Demo Site

Let us know your thoughts, when you get a moment. Have you tested contests? Sweepstakes? How’d it work out for you?

Continued…

20. Your best list is your current customer file. Your second best list is probably past customers. They’re your greatest direct marketing assets. Use them! But make sure the files are clean and up-to-date.

21. Direct response lists are always your best bet for outside lists. Someone who’s bought something through the mail is more likely to buy from you … especially if they’re recent buyers.

22. Have you ever tried a compiled list? Of course. Have you ever tried slanting the creative to the compiled list? Probably not. Names on most compiled lists have one thing in common (lawyers, accountants, soccer Moms, etc.). Whatever that one thing is, try reflecting it in your creative.

23. Use a great list broker. Ask for references, and describe your goals, package and target market. These are bright, dedicated people who want to do a great job so you’ll use them again and again.

24. Try to make your direct mail look and sound like it was touched by a human being. Customers and prospects tend to respond better when they feel like they are interacting with a real person.

25. Make sure all of your communications have the same brand personality.

26. Put the offer on your OE- especially if it’s short and a GREAT offer!

27. Try putting a special coupon on your OE.

28. Add a lift note (a.k.a. publisher’s letter). It’s another voice that adds credibility and focuses on the offer.

29. Test a live stamp on your OE. This makes the envelope look like a human being has touched it.

30. Invest in design! If you need a brochure, it should look great! A well designed brochure is almost always worth the extra cost.

31. Try a brochure CD.

32. Narrow your focus. One offer is plenty for a brochure. Think about using a catalog for more than one product or service.

33. Show people in your brochures and catalogs. Show them using your product. Your customers will be able to see how the product or service works and/or its actual size. Besides, people look at people before anything else.

34. Don’t forget to have the basic four: product description, price, offer and a guarantee, in your direct mail package.

35. Testimonials work! They add credibility to your products. Real names, real people. Show their photos if you can.

36. Features, advantages, benefits, benefits, benefits.

37. Guarantee is key! Make sure you have a great one- and this helps build trust between your brand and your customers.

38. Always use serif fonts on printed materials (fonts with feet). They are the easiest fonts to read.

39. Avoid hard-to-read text. Customers can ignore vital information simply if they can’t read it. The easiest to read is black face on a white background.

40. Put your contact information on more than just the order form. Don’t lose a sale because your customer/prospect lost your number, address or URL.

If you have any direct marketing questions, email Loisgeller@loisgellermarketinggroup.com

Recently a client came to our offices to tell us all about his fabulous line of art books. They were great, and we enjoyed seeing the art, before it was published. He mentioned the thickness of the books, the special art historian who was the author, and so on.

Then I asked him the big question: what is your offer? His reply was, “I don’t need an offer”, and “these books are high quality and stand on their own”.

I explained to him that in direct marketing you always need an offer, or you’re just selling retail in the mail. The offer answers the customer’s questions of “what’s in it for me”, and it is really the closer for the sale.

If you think about it, when you go to a regular store at the mall, you are usually on a mission to make a particular purchase. With direct marketing that is not the case at all.

When you get a direct mail piece or read a direct response ad or open up an email, you’re not necessarily in a buying mood for the product I’m trying to sell you. You might not have an immediate need for this beautiful artbook, unless there is a compelling reason or an incentive that will overcome your “sitting at home, or at your office inertia” and get you to buy immediately.

A good offer represents 40 percent of the success of your program and it has to be: believable, creative and involving.

If you want to learn more about crafting a great offer, pick up a copy of my book, Response! The Complete Guide to Profitable Direct Marketing at amazon.com, or at your local library.

Good luck and let me hear about your amazing offer. Maybe I’ll blog about it.